Pressure Washing Contracts: How to Protect Your Business and Win Work

What is a pressure washing contract?

A pressure washing contract is an agreement between you and a customer to provide your services. There are two different types of pressure washing contracts:

1. A legally binding agreement between your pressure washing business and your customer. This type of pressure washing contract details the terms and conditions of your services and protects your business in the event of a dispute or litigation. This contract usually comes after a verbal agreement between you and your customer.
2. An ongoing agreement to provide pressure washing services for a client. These clients can be commercial businesses, governments, residential homeowners, or any customers in need of regular power washing services. In most instances, your business will have to bid on these pressure washing service contracts.

If you’re looking to grow your business, check out these 31 tips to get more pressure washing jobs.

Why you need a pressure washing agreement

A good pressure washing contract:

• Sets customers’ expectations for the services you’ll be providing and the cost, when the job will be completed, and when and how they’ll be expected to pay.
• Lets customers know what needs to be done prior to your arrival, like closing windows and providing clear access to water sources.
• Prevents disagreements and disputes about your pressure washing services and payment for those services.

But more than that, a good pressure washing contract protects you and your business by reducing your liability for property damage and minimizes the financial impact of customers paying late or refusing to pay. 

Your pressure washing contract should be sent to a customer before any work starts. It can be sent alone or with your pressure washing estimate—just make sure your client agrees to your terms before you schedule the job.

READ MORE: Are quotes legally binding? Everything you need to know

What to include on your pressure washing contract

Your pressure washing contract should include the following details:

• Company information including your pressure washing business name, email, and phone number
• Client information such as their first and last name, phone number, email, and property address
• The contract start date and end date (if it’s a contract for ongoing services)
• The pressure washing services you’ll be providing, like window cleaning or gutter cleaning 
• Your pressure washing cost and payment terms including when payment is due, and how payment can be made
• Product warranties that explains that all warranties only apply to those offered by the manufacturer of the cleaning solution used
• Any damages that your power washing business will not be responsible for, such as loose mortar, improperly sealed windows or doors, or loose gutters, shingles, and siding
• A disclaimer on stains that cannot be removed by power washing, like tree sap, paints, and artillery fungus
• Scheduling of the pressure washing job, including the expected completion date and how inclement weather may affect or delay the job completion
• Water usage that tells your clients they’ll be expected to provide an on-site water supply and should an  exterior water supply be required it will be an additional charge
• Electrical usage that tells customers they are expected to the use of an on-site source of electricity—if an exterior source of electricity is required an additional charge will be applied
• Client responsibility that covers what is expected of your client prior to and day of the service—like clearing cars from their driveway, or removing furniture from their patio
• Terms of agreement that explains by signing off on your contract the client agrees to accept all your listed terms and any damages as a result of the above are the responsibility of the owner
• Space for a client’s signature to sign off that they’ve read and agreed to the terms of your contract

You can make one using a free pressure washing contract template or create your own template with Jobber’s DocuSign integration.

Pro tip: Consult a legal or financial advisor to review your contract before sending it to a customer.

How to create pressure washing contracts with DocuSign

Use DocuSign to automatically draft a pressure washer agreement that’s fast and easy for clients to sign when a quote is sent or approved, or when a job is created in your Jobber account.

Where to find pressure washing service contracts

The first step to winning new and recurring work is finding commercial businesses, governments, residential homeowners, or any customers in need of regular power washing services.

Here are a few suggestions for where to find pressure washing contracts to bid on:

Commercial pressure washing contracts

Commercial pressure washing contracts can mean bigger profits for your business based on the size of the property and the scope of the job. Here’s how to find commercial pressure washing contracts:

• Use online bidding websites like BidPrime or InstantMarkets to find commercial contracts in your service area
• Check local newspapers for property owners that have open pressure washing contracts for bid
• Cold call local businesses to see if they’re accepting bids for their pressure washing contracts

Government pressure washing contracts 

Government contracts often mean long-term guaranteed revenue for your pressure washing business. Here’s how to find government pressure washing contracts:

• Use online government contract listings like GovDirections or GovWin to find contracts and submit bids directly through the website
• Check with your local state Department of Labor or local Chamber of Commerce to see if they’re accepting bids on any open pressure washing contracts
• Search online for “government pressure washing contracts + [YOUR LOCATION]”

Residential pressure washing contracts

Some homeowners are looking for routine power washing services, like monthly window washing or quarterly driveway washing.

Here’s how to find residential pressure washing contracts:

• Bid on pressure washing contracts in your area with lead generation websites, like Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, HomeAdvisor, or Angi
• Use the right pressure washing marketing strategies to attract new customers to your business
• Help your business get found online with pressure washing ads and search engine optimization (SEO)

How to bid on a pressure washing service contract

Pressure washing service contracts are valuable because they typically mean recurring work and guaranteed revenue.

Here’s how to bid on service contracts:

1. Start by finding a contract to bid on using one of the recommendations below
2. Visit the site to make note of the size, condition, accessibility, and equipment you’ll need to complete the job 
3. Price your pressure washing services based on the specs provided and your site visit notes (including square footage, materials, and overhead). 
4. Use your pricing to send an accurate estimate to the bid owner.

The most important thing to remember is that pressure washing contracts protect the future of your business.

Whether you’re outlining the terms and details of services you provide to your clients or winning recurring commercial contracts, you can ensure the pieces are in place to help your business thrive.

So get your contract templates ready, continue to build your short- and long-term client list, and secure the future of your pressure washing business.

Originally published in February 2023. Last updated on April 26, 2024.